Saturday, 2 July 2011

Capital punishment

Capital punishment

Main article: Electric chair

Electric chair in Sing Sing.

Electric shock delivered by an electric chair is sometimes used as an official means of capital punishment in the United States, although its use has become rare in recent times. Although some original proponents of the electric chair considered it to be a more humane execution method than hanging, shooting, poison gassing, etc., it has now generally been replaced by lethal injections in countries that practise capital punishment. Modern reporting has claimed that it sometimes takes several shocks to be lethal, and that the condemned person may actually catch fire before the process is complete. The brain is always severely damaged and inactivated.
Other than in parts of the United States, only the Philippines reportedly has used this method, and only for a few years. It is legal in at least 10 states of USA.